The short version
AB-731 is a Microsoft exam for business decision-makers who guide AI adoption. It tests whether you can judge the value of generative AI, pick the right Microsoft AI app or service for a business need, and plan a responsible rollout. You do not write code. This guide uses the study guide that Microsoft lists as “Skills measured as of July 22, 2026”.
What the exam is
The exam is called AI Transformation Leader. Microsoft labels it beginner level, and it is aimed at leaders rather than engineers. The questions ask you to identify, explain, and recommend. Typical tasks: decide whether a use case suits generative AI or classic machine learning, say why a Copilot answer might be wrong, or tell a colleague which license or service fits a budget.
That makes it a different kind of test from most IT exams. You will not be asked to configure a portal. You will be asked to choose between options that all sound reasonable, where one detail in the scenario (data that changes daily, a need for citations, a fixed budget, no developers on staff) decides the answer.
Microsoft’s study guide shows that an earlier version of the skills outline existed. The July 22, 2026 version changed the audience profile, the Foundry Tools area, and the adoption planning area. Its change log marks all three changes as “minor”, and the other areas as unchanged. If you read older study notes, watch for outdated product names. The current guide uses “Foundry Tools” and “Microsoft Foundry”.
Who it is for
Microsoft describes the audience as business decision-makers at all levels who are responsible for guiding transformation and innovation in their teams or organizations. You are expected to show AI fluency, strategic vision, and the ability to lead AI adoption. You should have experience leading adoption or change management in a business context, and you should be familiar with Microsoft 365 services, Microsoft Foundry, and general AI capabilities. Microsoft also says you are not expected to write code.
That fits managers, program leads, consultants, pre-sales staff, and IT professionals moving toward an advisory or governance role. The prerequisites page lists what to know first.
Format at a glance
| Item | What Microsoft says |
|---|---|
| Exam code | AB-731 |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time | 45 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 or higher on a scale of 1 to 1,000 |
| Delivery | Proctored, scheduled through Pearson VUE |
| Languages | 13, including English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese (Brazil) |
| Number of questions | Not published for this exam; Microsoft says most of its exams have 40 to 60 |
| Interactive items | Microsoft says the exam may include interactive components |
Details, including scoring and retakes, are on the exam format page.
The three skill areas and their weightings
| Skill area | Weighting |
|---|---|
| Identify the business value of generative AI solutions | 35-40% |
| Identify benefits, capabilities, and opportunities for Microsoft’s AI apps and services | 35-40% |
| Identify an implementation and adoption strategy for Microsoft’s AI apps and services | 20-25% |
Business value of generative AI
The first area covers what generative AI is and how it differs from other AI, pretrained versus fine-tuned models, what drives cost (tokens, return on investment), and the risks: fabrications, reliability, and bias. It also covers prompt engineering, grounding, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), data quality, when machine learning adds value, and security considerations for AI systems.
Microsoft’s AI apps and services
The second area is about matching needs to products. One half covers Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft Copilot: versions, Copilot Chat, Copilot in Microsoft 365 apps, Copilot Studio, Microsoft Graph, Researcher and Analyst, and when to build, buy, or extend. The other half covers Foundry Tools: Azure Vision in Foundry Tools, Azure AI Search, Microsoft Foundry, and matching a model to a business need.
Implementation and adoption
The smallest area, but a lot of scenario questions live here. It covers responsible AI and governance (including an AI council and Microsoft’s responsible AI principles), plus adoption planning: an adoption team, barriers, an AI champions program, impacts on data, security, privacy, and cost, Copilot license types, and Foundry Tools subscription models.
Official source
For the vendor’s own page, see the Microsoft Learn AB-731 study guide. It is the final authority if anything here differs.
More guides for AB-731
- AB-731 Study Plan: 4-Week and 8-Week
- AB-731 Sample Questions With Answers
- Is AB-731 Hard? An Honest Look
- AB-731 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is AB-731 Worth It? An Honest Look
- AB-731 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- AB-730 vs AB-731: Which Exam First?
Next step
Read the domains explained page to see where your time should go. When you want to check yourself, our AB-731 practice tests are original practice sets built around these skill areas.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Microsoft says you are not expected to write any code. You do need to understand concepts such as tokens, grounding, and RAG well enough to advise on them.
Does AB-731 expire?
Microsoft says associate, expert, and specialty certifications expire annually and that fundamentals certifications do not. AB-731 is labeled beginner level, but check your Microsoft Learn profile, which shows the renewal status of each credential you hold.
Is the exam available in English only?
No. Microsoft lists 13 languages. Localized versions are updated about eight weeks after the English version.